This invention pertains generally to submerged fluid piping systems and more particularly to such systems that are coupled between a fixed, submerged location and a floating coupling.
The concept of offshore siting of nuclear power generating facilities has been considered for some time. The worsening trends in finding suitable land sites along the coast, power plant cost escalation and schedule delays, the growing concern of environmental impact of nuclear power generating stations and the desire for standardization to facilitate the licensing process have lent impetus to a serious consideration of offshore siting. In order to develop a floating nuclear plant, means for carrying cooling water from the plant condenser, which is employed to condense the turbine exhaust steam, to a location, in effect, "downstream" of the cooling water intake is required.
Since floating nuclear plants will be subject to large movements due to tide, wind and wave action, a device in the overboard coolant discharge piping system, which would permit this motion while at the same time carry the fluid, is required. Some additional constraints on the system require that it be leakage-free, not serve as an impediment to service barge traffic or the barge loading dock, and that such a system minimize pumping and maintenance requirements.
One proposed system employs a gooseneck piping arrangement with the outlet end submerged. However, analysis has shown this configuration presents high pump power requirements, large weight increases, unstable flow problems and support problems.
Accordingly, a new piping arrangement is desired for communicating the condenser coolant discharge to an external location downstream of the condenser inlet.